Impossible becomes possible for one Chester family

CHESTER -- Helen Campbell was inside her row home watching television last summer when she heard a knock on her front door.

She opened the door to find a stranger offering a sizable donation to her family. The man was a contractor, Campbell said, but he declined to reveal his identity.

"He said, 'Here, this is for the children,'" Campbell said.

Such experiences were not uncommon last summer for Campbell and her husband, Earl. Strangers frequently stopped by their home offering assistance. Others spotted Helen at the market and offered contributions.

Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of people, the Campbells are better able to care for two of their grandchildren, Da'Miyah Campbell, 14, and Darren Campbell, 11. Each of the children have spastic cerebral palsy.

The Chester community -- and some outside individuals and organizations -- rallied to raise the funding and services needed to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van and build an extension to the Campbells' home. The latter will serve as the children's bedroom.

"People have been really supportive of these children," Helen said. "It just blows your mind."

The Campbells did not specify the amount of donations collected, simply saying they received just enough to fulfill their needs. They also received free services from various contractors.

Without the contributions, the Campbells said they would not have been able to afford the van and addition, which together would have costs tens of thousands of dollars.

"It was truly through the grace of God," Earl said. "Other than that, you couldn't have done it."

Since gaining full custody of the children in October 2011, providing daily care had been especially challenging for the Campbells because of their age and the layout of their house. Daily care for the children includes using feeding tubes and oxygen tanks for sleeping, among other needs.

Their home is not wheelchair-accessible, requiring Helen, 68, and Earl, 76, to lift the children up their porch steps and into the house. To get the children to their second-floor bedroom, the Campbells must jointly lift them up a narrow stairway. The strenuous lifting limited the time the children could spend in their bedroom.

The addition, expected to be finished within the next few weeks, will enable the Campbells to simply wheel the children into their first-floor bedroom, a more spacious room that will better accommodate the equipment the children utilize. It also includes a bathroom catering to the children's disabilities.

Using their own funding, the Campbells built a deck to provide space for the children to get fresh air once the weather warms. They still hope to add a wheelchair lift to the bank entrance.

Sitting relaxed on his sofa earlier this month, Earl said he was glad to see "the light at the end of the tunnel." He said he was not sure how much longer he could handle carrying the children up and down the stairs.

"It got where I can feel them getting heavier," he said. "That was the worst part for me -- those steps."

Da'Miyah and Darren are among the Campbells' 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The Campbells gained control of the children because their mother could no longer care for them. Their father, Darren Campbell Sr., died nearly four years ago.

Helen serves as the children's primary caretaker during the day, with nurses providing additional care at night.

Helen said she is amazed at the outpouring of assistance, which initially began last July with a benefit concert at the Campbells' church, First Pentecostal United Holy Church.

"It was really unreal," she said. "I didn't think we would get all the support we did that night. It just blew my mind."

The monetary donations went toward purchasing the van, a pre-owned 2010 Ford van that was transformed into a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Helen said the van needed its roof raised and various parts inserted. When the Campbells picked up the vehicle Thursday, Helen said she kept pinching herself to make sure it was really happening.

"I couldn't even believe I was actually sitting in the van (Thursday) when we brought it home," she said.

Helen said she is excited for the moment when she gets to show her grandchildren their new room, which will feature butterfly decorations behind Da'Miyah's bed and a rainbow near Darren's bed. Da'Miyah will be particularly excited, Helen said.

"I think she's going to like her room," Helen said. "I was telling her, 'You're going to have big butterflies behind your bed.' She started laughing and getting excited."

Construction on the addition began last fall, Helen said, after several contractors volunteered their services at the benefit service. The Office of Intellectual Disabilities agreed to fund the addition, purchasing materials from The Home Depot at a discounted rate.

Robert Pittman, an independent contractor, oversaw the construction of the addition. KC Electrical Services, Lewis Strand and Son (plumbing) and Robert Thompson (drywall) also volunteered assistance. Calvin Lawler, an elder at First Pentecostal United Holy Church, and members of International Laborers Union Local 413 laid the foundation.

Tina Johnson, a church friend, will complete the painting and Make-A-Wish Foundation will provide decorations. The Campbells' son, Leroy Campbell, and Helen's brother, Anthony Green, built the deck. The city waived all fees associated with the permits.

Pittman, who grew up in the neighborhood, said it was a pleasure to lead the construction of the addition. He said he was looking forward to the day it is complete.

"It's just going to be a breathtaking moment," Pittman said. "They've been struggling. This will really make them feel good. ... They're never going to forget this."

Helen said she was overwhelmed that the contractors did not charge them anything. Sometimes, she said, they even sent entire crews of workers to complete the project.

"I sat one day and I cried because I couldn't believe it was being done like that," she said.

Even now, Helen gets choked up talking about the wealth of support extended to her family.

She admitted there were days she became discouraged, wondering how the family could raise all the funding necessary to meet their needs.

"Sometimes you get to a point where you want to throw up your hands and say, 'God, I can't do it anymore,'" she said.

However, Helen sought comfort by reading the numerous encouraging cards and letters mailed to her family.

"God always opens up a door," Helen said. "When you think it's not going to happen, we serve a God that makes the impossible possible."